‘Frantic’ at 5AM — Teen Testifies About Karen Read’s Disturbing Wake-Up Call
Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary
True Crime Today
3 • 791 Ratings
🗓️ 21 May 2025
⏱️ 10 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In one of the most emotionally charged moments of the Karen Read trial so far, the niece of John O’Keefe took the stand and delivered testimony that could fundamentally alter the jury’s perception of that fatal morning. According to her, Karen Read was already acting “frantic” at 5AM — long before John’s body was discovered in the snow. And the reason Read gave for waking her up? She feared she may have “hit someone.”
This testimony cuts directly to the heart of the defense’s narrative. If Karen was already expressing panic and guilt before the body was found, what exactly was she reacting to? And how could she know something was wrong with John unless she had something to do with it?
In this episode, we dissect this critical testimony — what was said, how it was delivered, and how it may influence jurors on an emotional and psychological level. The teen’s account not only contradicts Karen Read’s claims that she was being shut out by the O’Keefe family, but also reveals a possible moment of unconscious confession — a window into her state of mind as the truth began to settle in.
We also analyze the courtroom strategy behind presenting a minor’s testimony, how it’s protected, and why the prosecution is leaning into the raw, unfiltered emotional accounts of those closest to John.
This isn’t just about what happened in Canton that night — it’s about what was said in the hours that followed, and how those words may be impossible to take back.
Hashtags:
#KarenRead #JohnOKeefe #KarenReadTrial #TeenTestimony #CourtroomDrama #HiddenKillers #TrueCrimePodcast #WitnessTestimony #FranticAt5AM #EricFaddis
Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video?
Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/
Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod
X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod
Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | This is Hidden Killers with Tony Bruske. |
| 0:03.2 | Here now, Tony Bruske. |
| 0:06.1 | The testimony also this week came in and we obviously did not see it, |
| 0:10.1 | trying to protect the identities of the children, |
| 0:13.0 | which seems Karen and her blogger friend have no regard or care for |
| 0:18.8 | because her little blogger friend who likes reptiles decided to post |
| 0:24.0 | pictures of the children out there online that he received directly from Karen. So, hey, nice |
| 0:29.6 | job, guys. I see it's not all about you. But let's talk about the testimony itself, because that's really what matters, not exposing the identities of minors online, which, again, some find it appropriate to do, you know, like Karen and her friend. |
| 0:48.6 | But let's talk about that itself. The, they had a lot of, the, the young girl, she's 14 now. |
| 0:55.4 | She was, but 12, 11, 12 at the time of the accident taking place. |
| 1:01.1 | She had a lot to say. |
| 1:02.6 | And it came across pretty accurate. |
| 1:05.1 | I know the defense of Karen Reed and the FKR folks are like, kids lie. |
| 1:09.2 | Yeah, they do. |
| 1:10.4 | I have a 12-year-old myself. But there's certain |
| 1:13.1 | things they don't lie about. And, you know, one of those things might just be when the person |
| 1:17.9 | that they're now, you know, considering dad, Uncle John, who took them in after they've already |
| 1:22.5 | lost their first two parents, dies. That might not be something you're going to make stories about. |
| 1:29.7 | And their story is consistent, really, with everything that we've already heard and what |
| 1:34.4 | we know about what happened in that house, what we heard on the phone that night or that |
| 1:39.1 | morning with Carrie Roberts and Jen McCabe, hearing a lot of the same stuff. |
| 1:44.5 | And then very consistent before that, too, |
... |
Transcript will be available on the free plan in 6 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from True Crime Today, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of True Crime Today and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.